Water-softening cleanser



Patented Jan. 3, 1939 PATENT orrlce WATER-SOFTENING OLEANSER Bert 0. Crites, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Climalene Company, Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio No Drawing- Application July 11, 1936,

Serial No. 90,180-

1 Claim.

In soap powders for domestic use, certain difficulties and drawbacks have heretofore been characteristic; particularly the tendency to raise an impalpable dust which when inhaled is irritant and disagreeable; and again, the tendency to lather poorly where very hard water is encountered. Efforts to compensate the latter limitation by addition of free alkali agents has not only accentuated the dusting tendency, but also introduced a further difliculty through the proneness of the respective constituents to segregate out into separate zones. A product which is available for highly varied water conditions, irrespective of hardness, and which at the same time is free from disagreeable tendency to raise fine irritating dust in use, is accordingly of particular importance in the art and highly desirable.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In accordance with the invention, I prepare a cleanser of highly advantageous physical properties, by incorporating an alkali metal carbonate and phosphate with a fatty acid, reaction proceeding rapidly to the formation of a solid product which on suitable subdivision to desired particle size, is of dry-pouring character. The invention will be readily understood from an illustrative example:

A suitable fatty acid, such as normally solid commercial soap-making fatty acids, preferably 'tallow acids as of titre 41 and acid content 98 per cent plus, in convenient amount, is heated in a jacketed kettle to about 120 F., being stirred by suitable agitating means. An alkali metal carbonate, preferably sodium sesqui-carbonate, Na4Hz(C0z) 33H2O, is stirred in, in amount for instance of 80 parts, the stirring being continued for a minute or so after the addition. Then an alkali metal phosphate, preferably tri-sodium phosphate, is stirred in, in amount for instance of 40 parts, the stirring being continued for a minute or so after the completion of the addition. Another quantity of the sequi-carbonate, for instance 80 parts, is stirred in, and then another quantity of the phosphate, for instance 40 parts, and finally about 160 parts of the sequi-carbonate, and during the last stirring a perfuming agent may be added, as for instance 2% parts of citronella oil. After the first addition of sesquicarbonate, the material quickly changes from a clear transparency to a turbid opaque lighter color, although still very fluid. With successive additions, the product thickens, finally becoming pasty and then breaking apart into chunks which, as the stirring continues, ball up into pebblecharacter of varying sizes. The operation consumes about 15 or 20 minutes, and the product is finally disintegrated to desired size by any suitable means. If sized to particles of 20-80 mesh, the product is of a character to be most generally applicably useful.

It will be noted that in the manufacture of this product, there is a stage before it solidifies into the balls of pebble-like character where it is in a semi-fluid stage. If desired, instead of continuing the'stirring from this point on to the stage of final solidification, it may be taken at such semi-fluid stage and formed into particles of de-' sired size either by ejection through a die or converting the same into flake form in a flaking machine of standard construction. Whichever of the several indicated procedures is followed in converting the material into particle form, the resultant particles are firm, of uniform composition, and free from irritating dust.

The proportions of carbonate and phosphate and acid may in general range about 35-45 per cent of sodium sesqui-carbonate, about 2-10 per cent of tri-sodium phosphate, and about 45-65 per cent of fatty acid, amounts being by weight as customary. The phosphate is desirably in a minor proportion as compared with the carbonate, and may range in general about 5-30 per cent that of the carbonate. The product, particularly where made with sodium sesqui-carbonate, is notably free from disagreeable dusting tendency, and

the particles on miscroscopic examination show a composition of soap binder with free carbonate and phosphate held effectively in engagement, and consequently being non-segregatable under handling and packing, etc., and remaining uniform and homogenous. The apparent specific gravity is about 0.551. It is thus seen to be in fundamental contrast to products which are simply mixed from a pre-formed soap and from ground sesqui-carbonate or other salts, as in accordance with British Patent No. 326,755, etc., wherein soap, being formed as it is by action of caustic alkali solution on a glyceride with bydrolysis, provides a considerable water content in the hydrous soap, and this in drying out in the packages on the dealer's shelves promotes disintegration and dust. It is also seen to be in contrast to products of reaction of comparatively drastic soda ash on fatty acid, and leaving an excess 01' the soda ash, as in accordance with U. S. Patent No. 904,520, etc., these products being very irritant and dusty, and being ill-adapted for use in hard water.

Such a product is of special advantage where it is to be used from a sifting form of container, as is desirable for household purposes and in such usage, maintains its uniform compositionfrom top to bottom of the packagaand irrespective of the sifting operation is not prone to disagreeable disengagement of light floating dust which is irritant when inhaled.

This application is a continuation, in part and as to common subject matter, of my application Ser. No. 666,857, filed April 19, 1933 now Patent No. 2,065,117, issued Dec. 22, 1936.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in the tollowing=claim, or the equivalent of it, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

As a new article of manufacture, water-softening cleanser in free-flowing substantially dustless sifting powder form whose particles are uniformly composed of the reaction product of about 35-45 parts by weight of sodium sesquicarbonate and about 210 parts of tri-sodium phosphate, and about 45-65 parts by weight of normally solid commercial soap-making fatty acids of not less than 98 per cent free fatty acid content, the sesqui-carbonate being in excess of that required to neutralize the acid and together with the excess phosphate being physically held in the particles against separation and dusting.

BERT o. CRI'I'ESl 

